One Quest for Kona contender offers his insight on his path to IRONMAN success.

by Michelle Curran

When an excavator bucket fell on Andrew Jamieson while he was doing demolition work 14 years ago, life changed dramatically. Prior to the incident, the now 32-year-old had always been sporty; there was no need for anything to change thereafter. Jamieson continued to pursue various sports including wheelchair basketball, and, in 2014, triathlon. His journey brought him all the way to this year's IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns in June. The Cairns-based athlete competes in the hand-cycle category.

Jamieson is the first to admit that his triathlon journey has been a huge learning curve. Below, he shares the main lessons he learned during his racing journey.

Be nice.

"We all know IRONMAN can be a selfish sport, so it is important to remember your loved ones when you are amid heavy training, fatigued, and even a little cranky," Jamieson says. It was Jamieson’s wife Kristy who encouraged him to give triathlon a go, after all.

"It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but in 2014, I did the cycle leg for an IRONMAN 70.3, and I soon got addicted to it—especially all the encouragement from everyone. It was gnarly."

Surround yourself with people on the same path as you.

Since starting triathlon, Jamieson has met several para-athletes, who have transitioned to the sport. "These athletes are all quite young, as our shoulders are quite delicate," he says.

Knowing other people on the same path can motivate you and encourage you, and if Jamieson has inspired one person by what he has already achieved, he says everything he is doing will be worth it.

Consistency is crucial.

You have to be consistent with your training and if you start to drop sessions, you are going to struggle, Jamieson says. He says he always aims to finish well, and not just survive. "It’s more than just surviving … I don’t want to get to the finish line absolutely flogged."

Keep a balanced approach to work/life/training.

Especially if you're not a professional, it is important to try and keep things in perspective, Jamieson says. "I like to take a balanced approach to preparing for an event."

Don't underestimate your abilities.

Jamieson’s biggest learning from his training and racing is that competing in triathlon is something he thought was unobtainable when he first had my spinal injury, but I come from a sporting background and the desire was there."

Apply yourself.

Jamieson shares that he was never much of a swimmer, so learning to swim in the open water was an eye-opener—as was pushing a race chair. He says you just don’t know what you are capable of until you try.

It's super rewarding.

Despite the commitment involved, the reward of completing an event is worth its weight in gold to Jamieson."What you get out of the sport physically and mentally, and the like-minded people I have met is really rewarding."

The training has its moments too, he adds.

"Where I live, there are ranges which are perfect for cycle training … you head out there on a sunny morning, there’s hardly any traffic and the birds are chirping—there is nothing better."

Get back up when you get knocked down.

Jamieson has obviously had many hard knocks in life. On the sporting front, he failed to qualify for the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship on the Sunshine Coast after placing second in his category (the winner of the handcycle category claimed the only spot). However, no matter what, Jamieson says he always gets back up, and dreams of being able to inspire others to do the same.

You can follow Jamieson’s progress and his journey towards becoming an IRONMAN on Quest for Kona, which premiers on October 4th on NBCSN. Check your local listings for details."